121Iago Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve God 122if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service 123and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your 124daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you'll have your 125nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins 126and jennets for germans.

569Duke The Turk with a most mighty preparation 570makes for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is 571best known to you, and, though we have there a 572substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a more 573sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer 574voice on you. You must therefore be content to slubber 575the gloss of your new fortunes with this more 576stubborn and boisterous expedition.

661Roderigo It is silliness to live when to live is torment; 662and then have we a prescription to die, when death is 663our physician.

664Iago O villainous! I have looked upon the world 665for four times seven years, and, since I could distinguish 666betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never found man that 667knew how to love himself. Ere I would say I would 668drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, I would 669change my humanity with a baboon.

670Roderigo What should I do? I confess it is my shame 671to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it.

672Iago Virtue? A fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are 673thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens to the which 674our wills are gardeners, so that if we will plant 675nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, 676supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with 677many, either to have it sterile with idleness or 678manured with industry--why, the power and corrigible 679authority of this lies in our wills. If the beam of our lives 680had not one scale of reason to poise another of 681sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would 682conduct us to most preposterous conclusions. But we 683have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal 684stings, our unbitted lusts--whereof I take this that you 685call love to be a sect or scion.

687Iago It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission 688of the will. Come, be a man! Drown thyself? Drown 689cats and blind puppies. I have professed me thy friend, 690and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of 691perdurable toughness. I could never better stead thee 692than now. Put money in thy purse. Follow thou the 693wars; defeat thy favor with an usurped beard. I say, 694put money in thy purse. It cannot be long that Desdemona 695should continue her love to the Moor--put money in 696thy purse--nor he his to her. It was a violent 697commencement in her, and thou shalt see an answerable 698sequestration --put but money in thy purse. These Moors 699are changeable in their wills--fill thy purse with money. 700The food that to him now is as luscious as locusts 701shall be to him shortly as acerb as coloquintida. She 702must change for youth; when she is sated with his body, 703she will find the errors of her choice. Therefore, put 704money in thy purse. If thou wilt needs damn thyself, do 705it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the 706money thou canst. If sanctimony and a frail vow 707betwixt an erring barbarian and a super-subtle Venetian be 708not too hard for my wits and all the tribe of hell, thou 709shalt enjoy her. Therefore make money. A pox of 710drowning thyself. It is clean out of the way. Seek thou 711rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy than to be 712drowned and go without her.

713Roderigo Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, if I depend on 714the issue?

715Iago Thou art sure of me--go, make money--I have 716told thee often, and I retell thee again and again: I 717hate the Moor. My cause is hearted; thine hath no less 718reason. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against 719him. If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a 720pleasure, me a sport. There are many events in the 721womb of time which will be delivered. Traverse, go, 722provide thy money. We will have more of this 723tomorrow. Adieu.

918Desdemona O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst 919best. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a 920deserving woman indeed? One that in the authority of her 921merit did justly put on the vouch of very malice 922itself.

936Desdemona O most lame and impotent conclusion! Do 937not learn of him Emilia, though he be thy husband. 938How say you, Cassio, is he not a most profane and 939liberal counselor?

940Cassio He speaks home, madam. You may relish 941him more in the soldier than in the scholar.

[Cassio takes Desdemona by the hand.]

942Iago[Aside] He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, 943whisper! With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great 944a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do! I will gyve thee 945in thine own courtship. You say true; 'tis so indeed. 946If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry,947 it had been better you had not kissed your three 948fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play 949the sir in. Very good! Well kissed and excellent courtesy!950 'Tis so indeed. Yet again, your fingers to your 951lips? Would they were clysterpipes for your 952sake.

997Iago Do thou meet me presently at the harbor. 998Come thither, if thou be'st valiant-- as they say base men 999being in love have then a nobility in their natures 1000more than is native to them --list me: the lieutenant 1001tonight watches on the court of guard. First, I must tell 1002thee this: Desdemona is directly in love with him.

1004Iago Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be 1005instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved 1006the Moor, but for bragging and telling her fantastical 1007lies. To love him still for prating? Let not thy discreet 1008heart think it. Her eye must be fed. And what delight 1009shall she have to look on the devil? When the blood 1010is made dull with the act of sport, there should be a 1011game to enflame it, and, to give satiety a fresh appetite, 1012loveliness in favor, sympathy in years, manners, 1013and beauties--all which the Moor is defective in. Now, 1014for want of these required conveniences her delicate 1015tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the 1016gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor. Very nature will 1017instruct her in it and compel her to some second choice. 1018Now sir, this granted (as it is a most pregnant and 1019unforced position) who stands so eminent in the degree of 1020this fortune as Cassio does--a knave very voluble, no 1021further conscionable than in putting on the mere form 1022of civil and humane seeming for the better compass 1023of his salt and most hidden loose affection? Why none, 1024why none! A slipper and subtle knave, a finder of 1025occasion that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit 1026advantages though true advantage never present itself. 1027A devilish knave! Besides, the knave is handsome, young, 1028and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green 1029minds look after--a pestilent complete knave, and the 1030woman hath found him already.

1031Roderigo I cannot believe that in her; she's full of most 1032blessed condition.

1033Iago Blessed fig's-end! The wine she drinks is 1034made of grapes. If she had been blessed, she would 1035never have loved the Moor. Blessed pudding! Didst thou 1036not see her paddle with the palm of his hand? Didst not 1037mark that?

1039Iago Lechery, by this hand--an index and obscure 1040prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts. 1041They met so near with their lips that their breaths 1042embraced together. Villainous thoughts, Roderigo, when 1043these mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand 1044comes the master and main exercise, th'incorporate 1045conclusion--pish! But sir, be you ruled by me. I have 1046brought you from Venice. Watch you tonight, for 1047the command, I'll lay't upon you. Cassio knows you 1048not; I'll not be far from you. Do you find some 1049occasion to anger Cassio, either by speaking too loud, or 1050tainting his discipline, or from what other course 1051you please which the time shall more favorably 1052minister.

1054Iago Sir, he's rash and very sudden in choler, and 1055haply may strike at you. Provoke him that he may, for 1056even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny, 1057whose qualification shall come into no true taste 1058again but by the displanting of Cassio. So shall you 1059have a shorter journey to your desires by the means I 1060shall then have to prefer them, and the impediment 1061most profitably removed without the which there were 1062no expectation of our prosperity.

1063Roderigo I will do this, if you can bring it to any 1064opportunity.

1065Iago I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the 1066citadel. I must fetch his necessaries ashore. 1067Farewell.

It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and 1099valiant general, that upon certain tidings now arrived 1100importing the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet, 1101every man put himself into triumph: some to dance, 1102some to make bonfires, each man to what sport and 1103revels his addition leads him. For besides these 1104beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptial.

So 1105much was his pleasure should be proclaimed. All 1106offices are open and there is full liberty of feasting from this 1107present hour of five till the bell have tolled eleven. 1108Heaven bless the isle of Cyprus and our noble general 1109Othello.

1125Iago Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten 1126o'th'clock. Our general cast us thus early for the 1127love of his Desdemona, who let us not therefore blame; 1128he hath not yet made wanton the night with her, and 1129she is sport for Jove.

1140Iago Well, happiness to their sheets. Come, 1141lieutenant, I have a stoup of wine and here without are a 1142brace of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a 1143measure to the health of black Othello.

1144Cassio Not tonight, good Iago. I have very poor 1145and unhappy brains for drinking. I could well wish 1146courtesy would invent some other custom of 1147entertainment.

1148Iago Oh, they are our friends--but one cup; I'll 1149drink for you.

1150Cassio I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that 1151was craftily qualified too, and behold what innovation 1152it makes here. I am infortunate in the infirmity and 1153dare not task my weakness with any more.

1221Cassio Ay--but by your leave, not before me. The 1222lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's have 1223no more of this. Let's to our affairs. God forgive us our 1224sins. Gentlemen, let's look to our business. Do not 1225think, gentlemen, I am drunk. This is my ancient, this 1226is my right hand and this is my left. I am not drunk 1227now. I can stand well enough, and I speak well enough.

1386Cassio Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have 1387lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of 1388myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, 1389Iago, my reputation.

1390Iago As I am an honest man, I had thought you had 1391received some bodily wound; there is more sense in that 1392than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false 1393imposition, oft got without merit and lost without 1394deserving. You have lost no reputation at all unless you 1395repute yourself such a loser. What, man, there are 1396more ways to recover the general again. You are 1397but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in 1398policy than in malice--even so as one would beat his 1399offenseless dog to affright an imperious lion. Sue to 1400him again and he's yours.

1401Cassio I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive 1402so good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so 1403indiscrete an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot? and 1404squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse fustian 1405with one's own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of 1406wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call 1407thee devil!

1408Iago What was he that you followed with your 1409sword? What had he done to you?

1412Cassio I remember a mass of things, but nothing 1413distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. O God, that 1414men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal 1415away their brains! that we should with joy, pleasance, 1416revel and applause transform ourselves into beasts!

1417Iago Why, but you are now well enough. How 1418came you thus recovered?

1419Cassio It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give 1420place to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows me 1421another to make me frankly despise myself.

1422Iago Come, you are too severe a moraler. As the 1423time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, 1424I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but since it is as 1425it is, mend it for your own good.

1426Cassio I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell 1427me I am a drunkard. Had I as many mouths as Hydra, 1428such an answer would stop them all. To be now a 1429sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast--Oh, 1430strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the 1431ingredient is a devil.

1432Iago Come, come, good wine is a good familiar 1433creature if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. 1434And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love 1435you.

1437Iago You, or any man living, may be drunk at a 1438time, man. I tell you what you shall do: our general's 1439wife is now the general. I may say so in this respect, 1440for that he hath devoted and given up himself to the 1441contemplation, mark, and devotement of her parts 1442and graces. Confess yourself freely to her; 1443importune her help to put you in your place again. She is 1444of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition 1445she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more 1446than she is requested. This broken joint between 1447you and her husband entreat her to splinter, and, my 1448fortunes against any lay worth naming, this crack of 1449your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

1491Roderigo I do follow here in the chase, not 1492like a hound that hunts, but one that fills up the 1493cry. My money is almost spent, I have been tonight 1494exceedingly well cudgeled, and I think the issue 1495will be I shall have so much experience for my pains, 1496and so, with no money at all and a little more wit, 1497return again to Venice.

1528Clown Marry, sir, by many a wind instrument that I 1529know. But, masters--here's money for you--and the 1530general so likes your music that he desires you for love's 1531sake to make no more noise with it.

1542Cassio Prithee keep up thy quillets. There's a poor 1543piece of gold for thee. If the gentlewoman that attends 1544the general's wife be stirring, tell her there's one Cassio 1545entreats her a little favor of speech. Wilt thou do this?

1546Clown She is stirring, sir. If she will stir hither, I shall 1547seem to notify unto her.

2412Othello Lie with her? Lie on her? We say "lie on her" 2413when they belie her. Lie with her? Zounds, that's fulsome! 2414Handkerchief! Confessions! Handkerchief! -- To 2415confess and be hanged for his labor. First to be hanged 2416and then to confess! I tremble at it. Nature would not 2417invest herself in such shadowing passion without some 2418instruction. It is not words that shakes me thus. Pish! 2419Noses, ears, and lips! -- Is't possible? Confess? 2420Handkerchief? O devil!

2518Cassio She was here even now; she haunts me in 2519every place. I was the other day talking on the 2520seabank with certain Venetians, and thither comes the 2521bauble and, by this hand, falls me thus about my neck.

2534Bianca Let the devil and his dam haunt you! What 2535did you mean by that same handkerchief you gave 2536me even now? I was a fine fool to take it! I must take 2537out the work? A likely piece of work, that you should 2538find it in your chamber and know not who left it there. 2539This is some minx's token, and I must take out the work? 2540There, give it your hobby-horse! [Bianca throws down the handkerchief.] Wheresoever you had 2541it, I'll take out no work on't.

2566Othello Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned 2567tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to 2568stone; I strike it and it hurts my hand. Oh, the world 2569hath not a sweeter creature! She might lie by an 2570emperor's side and command him tasks.

2892Roderigo Every day thou doff'st me with some device, 2893Iago, and rather, as it seems to me now, keep'st from 2894me all conveniency, then suppliest me with the least 2895advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it. Nor 2896am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I 2897have foolishly suffered.

2902Roderigo With naught but truth. I have wasted 2903myself out of my means; the jewels you have had from 2904me to deliver Desdemona would half have corrupted a 2905votarist. You have told me she hath received them, 2906and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden 2907respect and acquaintance, but I find none.

2913Roderigo I tell you, 'tis not very well! I will make 2914myself known to Desdemona. If she will return me my 2915jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my 2916unlawful solicitation. If not, assure yourself, I will seek 2917satisfaction of you.

2919Roderigo Ay, and said nothing but what I protest 2920intendment of doing.

2921Iago Why, now I see there's mettle in thee, and 2922even from this instant do build on thee a better 2923opinion than ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo. 2924Thou hast taken against me a most just 2925exception, but yet I protest I have dealt most directly in thy 2926affair.

2928Iago I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and 2929your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. 2930But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed which 2931I have greater reason to believe now than ever--I 2932mean purpose, courage, and valor--this night 2933show it. If thou the next night following enjoy not 2934Desdemona, take me from this world with 2935treachery and devise engines for my life.

2938Iago Sir, there is especial commission come from 2939Venice to depute Cassio in Othello's place.

2940Roderigo Is that true? Why then Othello and Desdemona 2941return again to Venice.

2942Iago Oh no, he goes into Mauritania and taketh 2943away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his 2944abode be lingered here by some accident, 2945wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of 2946Cassio.

2951Iago Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a 2952right. He sups to night with a harlotry, and thither 2953will I go to him. He knows not yet of his honorable 2954fortune. If you will watch his going thence--which 2955I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one--2956you may take him at your pleasure. I will be near 2957to second your attempt, and he shall fall between 2958us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with 2959me; I will show you such a necessity in his death that 2960you shall think yourself bound to put it on him. It 2961is now high supper time, and the night grows to waste. 2962About it.

3044Emilia In troth, I think I should, and undo't when 3045I had done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a 3046joint ring, nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, 3047petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty exhibition. But for 3048all the whole world -- 'ud's pity! -- who would not make her 3049husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should 3050venture purgatory for't.